Broom debris out of the hole, apply a syrupy bonding agent to the bottom, and shovel in the gravel, stone, and tar “cold patch.” Then tamp it down.

“We make it a little bit higher. We shovel it in and then use a rake to level it off,” he said. “And we leave it a little bit higher because it’s going to settle, and the cars are going to push it down.”

The whole process takes only a few minutes, then it’s on to the next one. If you see one, report it to the 1-800-FIXROAD hotline.